Voter Assistance Available – Self Help Stations and Election Protection Hotline 

“In our government ‘by the people’ we owe it to each other to make sure we all vote.”

Tomorrow, May 13 is the deadline for voters to request an absentee ballot to vote in Georgia’s primary elections.

• Voters can download an absentee ballot application at https://securemyabsenteeballot.sos.ga.gov/s/. 
• The application must be hand-signed by the voter. 
• The completed application, with identification documentation, can be scanned or photographed and uploaded to the state website https://securemyabsenteeballot.sos.ga.gov/s/ . It can also be returned to the voters’ County Board of Registrars – either by email, by fax or by dropping it off in-person. 
• More information is available at https://georgia.gov/vote-absentee-ballot.  

Voting rights groups are hosting “Self-Help Stations” around the state between now and election day. The stations will provide voters with internet, computer, printer and scanner access. Tomorrow between 11am and 2pm, voters in the Albany area will be able to apply for absentee ballots using a “Self-Help Station” at 230 South Jackson Street, Suite 247; Albany GA 31701. 

After tomorrow, voters will be able to use the “Self-Help Stations” to check their mail ballot status; to locate early voting and election day poll sites; and to download and print sample ballots. Contact Common Cause Georgia for information about when and where the stations will be available. (cfranklin@commoncause.org or 504-229-2070)

Voters can check the status of their mail ballot and find other information on the state’s “My Voter Page” at https://mvp.sos.ga.gov/s/. 

Voted ballots must be received by the voter’s County Board of Registrars before 7pm on Election Day. Ballot drop boxes will not be available after the end of early voting, at 5pm on Friday, May 20. 

Voters will also be able to vote early in-person through 5pm on Friday, May 20. Early Voting will be available this Saturday, May 14.

Primary election day is Tuesday, May 24. Polls will be open from 7am to 7pm. 

Voters who have questions or problems can contact the nonpartisan Election Protection hotline at 866-OUR-VOTE. Started in the wake of the 2000 presidential election, the program is now run by a nonpartisan coalition of more than 100 organizations. It has more than 40,000 volunteers nationwide, including more than 1,000 in Georgia.

Voters who need transportation to vote can contact The People’s Agenda https://thepeoplesagenda.org/ or New Georgia Project https://newgeorgiaproject.org/rides/ and register for free rides to and from the polls.

Statement of Common Cause Georgia Executive Director Aunna Dennis

Our ‘government by the people’ is stronger and more representative when we all participate by voting. 

The anti-voter legislation that’s been pushed through our legislature means that some of us will find it harder to vote this year. So it’s important for all of us to encourage each other to cast our ballots. In our government ‘by the people’ we owe it to each other to make sure we all vote.

Help is available for anyone who is confused by the new rules or has problems voting. Just call the nonpartisan Election Protection hotline at 866-OUR-VOTE. The program has been around for more than two decades; it’s run by a nonpartisan coalition of more than 100 organizations; and it has a lot of expertise in helping voters. 

So Georgians don’t have to find our way through the new rules alone. If we have questions, we can contact either our country elections office or the nonpartisan hotline.

Grassroots organizations are working to help voters this year in other ways, this year. Our “Self-Help Stations” are available to help anyone who needs to use the internet to access voting information. Some groups are also offering free rides to the polls.

We urge all voters in Georgia to cast our ballots and make sure our voices are heard in this election. Our ‘government by the people’ needs all of us to take part in it.